Sixty years ago — on Dec. 9, 1965 — a holiday special launched a new Christmas tradition. A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered, and it would become a beloved annual broadcast.

For decades viewers gathered to watch down-on-his-luck 8-year-old Charlie Brown, the star of the Peanuts comic strip, navigate the true meaning of Christmas. It was the first of many Charlie Brown holiday specials to come.

In 1995, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz spoke with NPR's Bob Edwards, reflecting on the specific vision he had for this animated special.

The following exchange has been edited for length and clarity.

Interview highlights

Charles Schulz: When we first started doing the commercial Peanuts characters, some of the advertising people thought we should use adults imitating children, but tha

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